Bowl eligibility is on the line for both Vanderbilt (5-4, 3-3) and Ole Miss (5-4, 2-3). Vandy has won two in a row in the series and four of five, including its last two games at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Keeping with our weekly Q&A routine to shed some light on the Commodores’ next opponent, Ole Miss beat writer Hugh Kellenberger of the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger was kind enough to join us for “five questions.” You can follow Hugh on Twitter at @HKellenbergerCL and read his blog at http://blogs.clarionledger.com/um/ for the latest on the Rebels.

Now, on with the Q&A:

1. First-year coach Hugh Freeze has Ole Miss on the cusp of bowl eligibility at 5-4 overall, 2-3 in the SEC. Is this about where you expected the Rebels to be, or has Freeze exceeded expectations? What has made the 2012 Rebels a better team than the 2011 Rebels?

HK: It’s not at all what I expected Ole Miss to do in year one. I figured he would get the team to play hard and they wouldn’t quit (which they did at the end of last season), but you looked at the SEC and the schedule and thought that might lead to four wins. Well, Auburn and Arkansas aren’t what we thought they were and Ole Miss beat both. Good on Ole Miss for taking advantage, and it has put them at 5-4 at this point.

Last year’s team would not have defeated Arkansas, which got up early and controlled most of the first quarter. That Ole Miss came back to take the lead before half, and then again at the end of the game, showed how much progress this team has made. It’s largely the same cast as last year, but guys care in a way they previously did not. That’s all Hugh Freeze’s doing.

2. Give us a breakdown of Freeze’s no-huddle offense. Are the Rebels in hurry-up mode the whole game, or do they pick and choose their spots? How and when will Ole Miss utilize backup Barry Brunetti to spell starting quarterback Bo Wallace?

HK: Hugh Freeze would like to be in hurry-up all the time, but it’s just an impossibility at this point. If you don’t get at least one first down, you’re giving the ball back in usually something like 50 seconds. That’s an awful lot to ask of a defense over the course of a game, and Ole Miss just doesn’t have the depth on that end to support the offense taking chances and playing fast all the time. They’re always going with a good pace, and they won’t ever huddle. But Freeze picks his spots for when to have the offense sprint.

We’ve seen Barry Brunetti used in recent weeks almost as a Wildcat quarterback. He comes in and runs to one side or the other, or hands it off to a running back based on his read. It’s not a substantial role.

3. Ole Miss’ defense has surrendered a good chunk of points and yards in recent weeks (as well as the Texas game earlier this season), but it also has faced some pretty good SEC offenses. What are the concerns confronting this defense, and where could they be susceptible against Vandy?

HK: The concern right now is the health of the defense, and the youth. Three starters (defensive end C.J. Johnson, cornerback Senquez Golson, safety Trae Elston) missed time earlier this week with “day-to-day” injuries. All should play Saturday, along with a couple of reserves who also sat out practices. Ole Miss has started three true freshmen on defense (Elston, defensive tackle Issac Gross and huskie Mike Hilton), and there are a handful of second-year guys as well. Georgia attacked those players, and was successful doing so. Ole Miss will have to adjust and scheme in a way where they can’t be exposed in the same way they were last week.

HK: What we learned about Bo Wallace this season is that he is a gamer, plain and simple. He was not very impressive in the spring and even into August, which is why it took so long for him to be named the starter. I think Hugh Freeze wanted Wallace to take the job instead of being handed it, and Wallace struggled to do that. He hasn’t been great – he does have 10 interceptions and they’ve come in bunches. And he has that JUCO streak of wanting to make a big play when he needs to make the safe throw and move on to the next play. But with two years still left for him after this one, he has time to grow and develop.

As far as Mathers, he came on really strong in August (as did another freshman back, Jaylen Walton). Jeff Scott was hurt, and they took advantage. But Scott returned in week 2, and him and senior Randall Mackey really have carried the load ever since. Pass-blocking has been hard for both to pick up. Mathers has 20 carries this season, but only four the last five games.

5. Does Ole Miss win at home on Saturday, and why or why not? If Vandy gets its third consecutive win in Oxford, does Ole Miss reach six wins and a bowl with LSU and Mississippi State remaining on the schedule?

HK: I’ve gone back and forth this week. I think, at the end of the day, Ole Miss will come out and be prepared, and find a way to win a close game. Given the narrative that this season has taken, it seems fitting that the next step would be vanquishing the demon that has been Vanderbilt for Ole Miss.

If Vanderbilt does win, the Egg Bowl becomes incredibly interesting. Mississippi State could be 7-4 or 8-3 coming in, and Ole Miss 5-6. And it’s in Oxford. That would be Ole Miss’ best chance, and the Rebels have lost three in a row to Miss. State. That’s why this week is so big for Ole Miss.